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• Winter solstice falls on the shortest day and longest night of the year. The event officially marks the astrological beginning of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. During the winter solstice, the sun is at its lowest arc in the sky.

• Fast Facts

  1. Marks the first traditional day of winter
  2. Festivals of light and rebirth are common among many cultures to mark the winter solstice
  3. Northern Hemisphere: December 21 or 22
  4. Winter solstice 2008: December 21NOAA.gov: Time Solstices and Equinoxes 2000-2010
  5. 2008 winter solstice begins at exactly 7: 04 a.m. ESTNOAA.gov: Time Solstices and Equinoxes 2000-2010
  6. Southern Hemisphere: June 20 or 21
  7. Solstice means "sun stands still"National Geographic: Solstice, a Cause for Celebration Since Ancient Times (December 20, 2002)
  8. Stonehenge is considered a marker to both winter solstice & summer solstice
  9. Many major holidays are celebrated around the time of the winter solstice, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa

• Solstice Traditions

  Winter solstice has been celebrated with cultural and religious ceremonies to mark the gradual return of the sun for thousands of years. The Ancient Romans held their week-long festival Saturnalia, honoring the God Saturn, around the time of the winter solstice. Iranians celebrate the winter solstice with the Shabe-Yalda festival, which means "birthday" or "rebirth" of the sun.The Washington Post: For Solstice, Let There Be Lights (December 14, 2006) National Geographic: Solstice, a Cause for Celebration Since Ancient Times (December 20, 2002)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Christmas | Christmas Eve | Kwanzaa | Hanukkah | Spring Equinox | Fall Equinox | Summer Solstice | Santa Claus | Yule Log | Astronomy | The Moon | Constellations | Stars | Christmas History | Advent | Advent Wreaths | Advent Candles | Origin of Christmas | Yule Log (TV Show) | HumanLight

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